The Hunger Games: Peeta Mellark's Point of veiw
by Dreamwriter116
Summary: Have you ever wondered what Peeta was think, what the story was behind his actions? What about what happened when he teamed up with the careers? How did he pull it off? Well here is his tale, how his actions saved katiness, the girl he gave the bread to
1. Chapter 1

This is the story of the Hunger Games, told from the point of view of Peetah. I think it would be interesting to know what he was thinking the whole time, since you never find out in the book! Please tell me what you think! It will be continuous, each chapter corresponding with its match number in the real book! Keep on the lookout, Ill post more chapters later. But for now, here is chapter one ;P

**The Hunger Games:**

_As told by Peetah Mellark_

**Chapter one – **

The first thing I feel before I wake up is the sun. Its hot rays beat down on my face and warm my skin. Today is the day, the day of the reaping. On a day like this, the sun is a great reassurance that they don't own everything; that there are still some things in this life the capital cannot take from us. I open my eyes and sit up in bed. I don't really feel like getting up, not today. Today I want to stay in bed, stay away from the horrors that will occur this afternoon. Today is the day of the Reaping. Today one boy and one girl will be taken from their homes and families and forced into a battle for their lives. They make us treat it as a holiday. But to me and the rest of the district people, it is a nightmare. Today two families from each district will pull their shutters closed in morning, while the rest of the people celebrate their children being spared another year. Hopefully, this will not be my family. Hopefully, they will not pick me. But hope is not kind here, our hopes have faded and died just as our people have from their harsh and uncaring rule. Hope has never prevailed, not the hopes of our people in the rebellion against the capital, not the hopes of the starving people in the streets, not the hopes of the families that have their children torn from their arms by the bloodthirsty vultures that cannot wait to see us die. So you see, we cannot trust in hope. In the end, hope only fails. Instead I must wait it out, and let fate run its course.

Today is a holiday, a day to stay home with our families. For me, it is another day of baking bread. My mother will soon come in to get me up, we have to bake fresh loaves for the customers, fresh cakes and pastries that people will want to eat tonight for celebration dinners. We do get some customers, but mostly the rich, which is not many. Most people cannot afford to eat such things. Papa said he may save a fresh loaf of bread and a few pastries for tonight, since tonight is a special night for celebration if I make it through the afternoon. I cannot wait for that, most of the food we get is stale or burnt things that others won't buy. My family is lucky, my mother says. We are not living on the streets, we need not fear starvation. We have a good home, with heat and water. I am grateful for this. But even our good fortune will not save us from the rule of the capital.

Sure enough, I heard a banging on my door. "Peetah! Get up and get dressed, it's time to start baking!" my mother shouted. Hastily, I pulled the covers off of me and walked across my room to my closet. I grabbed out some clothes and slipped them on, rushing to the kitchen to grab my apron. My father is already there, stirring up the dough. "Good morning father," I greeted, eyeing the squirrel lying on the counter before he turns and wraps it up in a cloth, and moves to put it away. I noticed it wasn't a clean kill; the creature was shot in the side of the head, not through the eye. It must have been someone else, not her. Hunting is illegal in District 12. Penalty of death, usually. But they starve us here, even if you enter your name extra times into the reaping, some still cannot survive well off the grain. Some people are desperate enough to risk it, to go outside the fence and hunt, then sell or trade the extra meat. My father always buys, although not when my mother is around. She calls them thieves, stealing what is forbidden are like stealing from the capital itself to her. But my father disagrees. I think he pities more than he likes the taste of the meat.

"Morning Peetah," my father grunts, returning to his work. Rolling up my sleeves, I go over to help him mold the bread. It isn't long before he sends me away to go get cleaned up. I return to my room and pick out the only suit I own. It is old, a hand me down of my father's, but it is still in good condition, and much nicer than what most people wear. I lay it out and make my way to our bathroom to wash up. I don't have much to worry about. After all, my family doesn't need the tesserae, so I am pretty safe for my age. But even so I still worry; I'm not out of it yet. After I am dressed, my mother comes in to brush my hair. She gently tugs out the knots and smoothes it down with her hand. My mother is not the kindest of persons, but today she is nice. She knows today might be the last day she sees me, and so she will show me a small act of kindness. As one o clock comes, we head for the square. It is crowded, there is not room for everyone, and so many fill the side streets. But as everyone signs in and children make their way to their roped off groups, it is silent. The usual bussle of the crowds and the buzz of chatter is gone; in its place is silence, with the bitter taste of grimness in the air.

I say goodbye to my parents and I am quickly herded over to the group of 16 year olds. We quickly exchange nods and turn our focus up to the stage that lies in front of the Justice Building. As the clock strikes two, the mayor approaches and tells us the story of the history of Panem. It's always the same one, the story of how the capital came to rise, and how rebellion rose in the dark days. It tells of how the districts fought and lost, of how District 13 was destroyed and the rest fell under the rule of the capital. It tells of why we have the Hunger Games. My mind drifts as he speaks. I've heard it all before. As for the victors of the Hunger Games, we have only one left alive. I watch disgusted as Haymitch stumbles onto stage, drunk. It is very obvious that our tributes do not stand much of a chance with him as a mentor. Effie Trinket quickly steps up the podium to wish us luck, a fake smile planted on her face, like she's happy to be here. "Isn't sad of me to have to manage a barbaric district like you," her eyes scream. I'm sorry if I'm not sympathetic.

"Ladies first!"Effie exclaims, reaches her hand into the girls reaping ball. She digs her hand around for a while, feeling for just the right piece of paper. Finally, one snags her finger and she pulls it out. Carefully smoothing the slip, she reads the name loud and clear."Primrose Everdeen". I feel a deep pain in my gut. I know that name. It's her sister, her little sister! Hope has failed me again, I realized as I looked over at Katiness. No, it wasn't her, but it might as well be. The look on her face said it all; she would never let her sister go die in the games. Even as I saw her rushing through the crowds to get to her sister, I felt my heart skip a beat. This was going to be the last time I would ever see her again. The last time I would look at her sweet, desperate face. She was a fighter, I knew that. But for district 12 tributes, going to the games is the same as going to your death. I reached us to touch my check, the one my mother had slapped twelve years ago, that raining night I had given her hope with two loves of burnt bread. There was nothing I could do to save her now, she would be gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter, going to see if I get some review this time. If I don't, I'll probably discontinue the story and start a new one. But for now enjoy chapter two! I'll enter chapter 3 later this week, then decide where it's going from there, but for now the story continues. This chapter is short, but it had to be to correspond with chapter two in the book. Post more later! Please tell me what you think!**

_**Chapter Two – **_

"I volunteer! I volunteer as a tribute!" Katiness screams. She is desperately rushes up to the stage in front of Prim, like she is worried they won't hear her and they'll take Prim away. But they do. Confusion breaks out on stage; no one has volunteered to go in someone's place in many years, not in District 12. Effie says something about introducing the other tribute before asking for volunteers, but the mayor stops her. "What does it matter?" he grumbles, letting Katiness come forth. Prim is hysterical. She is screaming and wrapping her arms around her sister. "NO! You can't go!" Prim wails. A boy steps up behind her. I recognize him immediately; it's Gale, katiness's friend. My father often trades with him. He pulls the child off of Katiness and gives her a small sad nudge forward. "We'll bravo! That' the spirit of the games! Don't want your sister stealing all the glory, do you? Come on, everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute." Effie chirps enthusiastically. But no one does, no one makes a sound. Instead, everyone reaches their three fingers to their lips and holds them out to her. A sign of thanks and admiration, a sign of goodbye to someone you love. I do it too, hoping that at least it will bring her some strength, something worth fighting for.

Just as she looks as she is about to cry, Haymitch stumbles up to her, drunk as usual. "I like you!" he said," you've got spunk! More than you, more than you!" he screams at the camera. Then he does his famous head plunge off the stage and knocks himself out. I return my gaze to Katiness. Her face is cold, stone cold. Any signs of earlier emotion have been wiped away. She will not cry, she wouldn't give them the satisfaction. My heart is pounding against my chest as Effie reaches her hand into the glass globe for the boy tribute. Only 4 slips have Peeta Mellark written on them. I hope it isn't me, it can't be me. Not now that she is going, I couldn't bear it, I couldn't kill her; but then again hope hasn't really been in my favor lately. Effie finally catches a slip and pulls it out. Clearing her throat, I brace myself as she read the name. "Peeta Mellark," she announces clearly. Me, it's me.

It feels as though someone has just punched me in the stomach. I am shaking, still in shock, but I try to keep my emotions from showing. It doesn't work too well. I slowly walk up to the stage, clenching my fists together and grinding my teeth. Why me? Why did they have to pick me this year? When I would have to go against her? I still remember, on our first day of school 11 years ago. "Look there," my father had told me, pointing to a little girl with brown hair pulled back in two braids that came down almost to her waist. She had on a little red plaid dress, and was cheerfully singing with her friend. "I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran away with a coal miner." "But why did she pick him, papa?" I had asked. "Because when he sings, even the birds fall silent to listen." He replied sadly. And when I sat to listen to her singing, I knew. I knew I would be a goner, just like my father. Walking over to her, we are asked to shake hands. Steadily, I reach my hand out to meet hers, glancing up in her eyes. As I take her hand, I give it a slight squeeze. I am on her side. And even if it kills me, I will make sure she is the one that will come home. She will be the victor, I will make sure of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok here is chapter three. It corresponds with chapter three in the book. Please let me know what you think, constructive criticism is welcomed! Look for chapter 4 coming soon!**

_**Chapter 3 –**_

After they finish playing the national anthem, Katiness and I are taken in to custody. We weren't handcuffed or anything, but they marched us into the Justice Building and gave us each a separate room. The room was very rich and luxurious, but I couldn't focus on that. It was time to say our goodbyes. As I sit on the couch awaiting my first visitor, I try to think of what to say. It will be my last chance to say anything to them, my last chance to say goodbye. I'm not very good with goodbyes. Not when it's goodbye forever.

My first visitor is my mother. She comes in, her face expressionless, and gives me a quick stiff hug. "Good luck," she told me quickly, and made her way to the door. A quick goodbye, but one none the less awkward and forced. Just as she walks out she mutters, "She's a fighter that kid, Maybe District 12 will actually have a winner this year," It didn't hit me until after she closed the door that she didn't mean me, she meant Katiness. Yeah, she is, and I would make sure she would win, but it still hurt not to have her support.

My next visitor is my father. He came in with tears in his eyes. "Hey there kid," he says. "Hey dad," I say. He doesn't say much, but he comes up to me and gives me a big hug, not letting go. "I love you dad," I say. I can already feel my eyes welling up; out of all the people in the world, I probably love my dad the most. He was always there for me; he was always by my side to tell me it would be ok. I know his face like the back of my hand, his eyes always bright and a small smile on his upturned lips, even in the worst of situations. As I hug him, I take in the smell of freshly baked pastries, and flour, and sugar. He always smells like a freshly baked loaf of bread. To me it's the best smell in the world.

"Don't worry, it's going to be ok, kid. I'll make sure to have a huge cake ready for when you come home." He told me. "and don't worry, I'll make sure that the little girl won't starve, I'll make sure her and her mother have enough to eat," he whispers in my ear. My father knows, I guess he always had known about me and Katiness. And if he knew that then he would understand I won't be coming home. But he still gives me reassurance. "I love you, son," he whispers. Just then the Peace Keepers come into the room and tell him it's time to go. He doesn't struggle, he pulls away and goes with them out the door, giving my hand one last reassuring squeeze, and slipping a small item into my hand.

After he is gone I look in my hand and see that the item he has given me is a necklace. The token on the chain is a circle, but I notice that it opens. Carefully opening it up, I see a photograph on one side of me and him, the one picture of my life that I have. In the other side is a sliver of bread; a sliver of home. I stare at it for a few minutes, thinking about all I was about to lose. Then carefully I clasp the necklace around my neck. Clutching the locket, I take a deep breath and approached the door as the Peacekeepers came to take me away.

It is a short ride to the train station, and they drive us in a car. As we ride, I glance over at Katiness. Her face is still cold and expressionless. I am curious as to why until we pull into the station. It is swarming with cameras aiming directly at our faces as we get out of the car. Still, I do not try to hide my blotchy eyes. Let them see, let them target me as a weakling, it won't matter anyways. I found Katiness glancing at me strangely; almost analyzing my emotions, trying to figure me out as we load up on the train. I am grateful, there are no cameras on the train, and so we can get a break. At 250 miles per hour, we will reach the capital in under a day.

We are shown to our rooms to get cleaned up. My room is just past Katiness's room. We walk past each other without a word; we hadn't spoken since our names were draw out of the globe. Funny it was just this morning, morning felt like ages away. I don't bother to shower off, having cleaned up this morning. Instead I change into a simple shirt and pants and wash the redness from my face. With nothing else to do, I head over to the dining car for dinner. It isn't long before Effie shows up, and Katiness follows like a shadow behind her. "Where is Haymitch?" Effie asks, eyeing at the empty seat next to me "Last time I talked to him he was going to take a nap," I reply coolly. Effie seems to relax a little at this news. I can't really blame her.

The servants quickly bring out our food. The plates are massive, and they never seem to end. The set so many plates on the table that I can't even see the table cloth! Not only that, but each plate is mounded with food, of all types and flavors. I have never seen so much food in my life! I glance over at Katiness, her eyes widening at the sight of the food, and I know she is thinking the same thing. Greedily, we began to scoop the delicacies on our plates. I try a little of everything, some of the stew, a helping of carrots, a big slice of honey smoked ham with a cherry glaze. When I can no longer fit any more food on my plate, I pick up my knife and fork and began to eat. Katiness does the same. The food is so delicious, I never knew it could taste this good! Closing my eyes as I scoop another bite of stew into my mouth, I savor the flavor. "Well it's nice that you two have good manners!" Effie chirped in her silly Capital accent, "The last two tributes I had ate like savages! It was truly barbaric, I lost my appetite!" Looking up at her, I found myself filled with anger. Last years tributes were from the seam, and they never had enough to eat a day in there life. And so certainly when they see food like this, table manners was the last thing on their mind! Katiness and I both had the same idea, setting down our utensils and making it a point to eat the rest of the meal with our hands, and sloppily using the tablecloth as our napkin. That shut Effie up. By the time I am done, I am struggling to hold down the food. Leaving in the District, we are not use to such rich food. But I am determined to hold it down; I will need all my strength in the arena if I want to keep Katiness alive.

After dinner, during which Haymitch never bothered to show up, we were taken to the next compartment to watch a recap of the reapings. I try to pay close attention so I know what we are up against. When we got to our district, you see Katiness volunteering and the goodbyes of the local people. I watch Haymitch's famous head dive with amusement. Effie is not so easily amused. "Your mentor has a lot to learn about presentation," she griped. I laugh "He was drunk, he's drunk every year," I replied."Every day!" Katiness adds with a smile. Haymitch doesn't have any family or friends, so with the money from his victory he wastes it buying spirits. I don't recall if I've ever seen him sober a day in my life! His behavior issues wouldn't be fixed by any of her high class tips! "How odd you find it amusing considering he will be your lifeline in the games, being your difference in life and death!" she hissed. Right on cue, Haymitch enters into the compartment."Did I miss dinner?" he asks in a slurred voice. Then he vomits right on the floor and passes out cold. "So laugh away!" Effie exclaims bitterly as she hobbles out of the compartment, avoiding the pool of vomit.

Even if she was annoying, she was right. We couldn't afford to loose Haymitch, or to get on his bad side. Exchanging glances with Katiness, I know she agreed. Slowly we grab Haymitch by the arms and pull him up. Carefully with Haymitch half walking – half leaning on us, we make our way to his room and set him down in the tub. He barley notices. I notice that Katiness is uneasy, so I decide to finish cleaning up Haymitch alone. "It's ok, I'll take it from here," I tell her."Alright," she says finally, after obviously giving it a little bit of thought, "I can send one of the capital people to help you." "No, I don't want them," I reply quickly. There is nothing that I would let the capital people help me with unless I was forced to. They sit in there huge homes, eating so much food it could feed an entire village, and sipping their tea, just waiting for the days when the Hunger Games with start so they can watch us die. As if there isn't enough people dying already from starvation in the districts! No, starvation is never the official cause of death. They would call it over exposure, flu, food poisoning, but never starvation. Try telling their families that when they hold the body of their child in their hand, their corpse so thin you can see their ribcage, their face sunken in, and their skin clutching tightly to their bones. No, I do not want the help of the capital people, ever. Katiness nodes, politely flashes a thankful smile, then quickly returns her face to her sullen thinking look. I shake my head as she walks out; if only I knew what she was thinking.

Careful, I undress Haymitch and turn on the shower. He stinks of spirits and vomit, but none the less, I wash him up using the sweetest smelling soaps to cover up the stink. I am glad Katiness isn't here to see this, cleaning up Haymitch is not a pretty sight. When I finally have him cleaned up, I dress him in a pair of pajamas from his dresser and help him into bed. Then I return to my room to go to sleep. Tomorrow we will be in the Capital. In the early morning we will be handed off to our stylists to get cleaned and dressed up for the evening presentation ceremony. Climbing into bed, I shut my eyes and drift off to sleep. I let the tiredness take over me, and float dreams into my head. Dreams in a world where there is no capital. There is no hunger, or thirst, or pain. A world where there is no Hunger Games, no death, no fear. It makes me wonder, living in a dark world like this, if there even is such a thing like happiness. My mind drifts to Katiness, her face glowing and lit up with a smile. I see her in my arms, laughing. We are standing in a field; there are no decaying buildings of the districts, nor the tall, powerful towers of the capital. It is just me and her. Happiness, it must not be real. Not the deep, all the way through kind of happiness. Yes we have some joy, and love, but to be truly happy with our lives seems like a dream. Not while the capital people rule over us. We would be free of them one day, free to live our lives as we wish. One day, I thought. And I would pray that Katiness live long enough to see this for me. One day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey Everyone Thanks for reading so far. Please continue to tell me what you think of the chapter, any suggestions are welcomed! In order to pull off a good ending to this chapter, I had to include half of chapter five as well as chapter 4 from the book. Chapter 5 in my story will correspond with the rest of chapter 5 in the book, so it will be fairly short. Please let me know what you think, and look for chapter five coming soon! **

**Chapter Four -**

As I lie in bed in the morning, I feel like I am back home. The sun has just barley began rising up and he morning air is still chilled. I pull the comforters more tightly around me and snuggle down farther in my bed. But wait, something isn't right. The air, the air doesn't smell right. It smells new, like the smell of a new set of clothes or a rich velvet couch. My home smells like a bakery, the sent of cinnamon and sugar swirling the aroma of fresh baked goods It's homey, not like this. It doesn't sound right either. Instead of the song of the birds, I hear a buzzing sound, a soft, slow, and dull buzz. That's when I wake up. I am not at home; I am on a train making my way to the Capital; that meant yesterday was real, too, and I was being sent to the Hunger Games.

I have barley sat up in bed when Effie bursts through the door. "Up, up, up!" she exclaims enthusiastically, "It's going to be a big, big, big day!" Following her orders, I get up and walk over to my dresser, picking out a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. No need to look formal yet, I will save that for my stylists to do when we reach the capital. Like usual, I reach the dining car a few minuets before Katiness and choose where to sit. Haymitch is already there, his face red and puffy from the previous day's indulgences. As far as I can tell, he has no memory of last night. Effie is there too, sitting directly across from Haymitch, a look of disgust on her face, muttering something under her breath. Haymitch is chuckling, so I guess it's a good sign, maybe he will be ready to start mentoring us today.

As I take my seat next to Haymitch, who is now reaching for a tall red bottle, no doubt some form of liquor. I turn to look at what is on the table, and fill my plate with scrambled eggs, ham, and potatoes. Remembering last night, I take smaller portions of the richest foods. Effie shows me a brown liquid in a pitcher and pours me a cup. Hesitantly, I try it and find it's really good! She laughs" It's called hot chocolate!" after I take a few more sips, I pick up one of the rolls. "You gonna eat those rolls, kid? Hey, you're that baker's son, why don't you go make us some more?" Haymitch told me, laughing. Effie, clearly upset at his rudeness, begins muttering under her breath again. That's when Katiness walks in. What great timing.

"Sit down! Sit down!" Haymitch says, waving her over. I see she has put back on the green outfit from last night, and her hair is still in one long braid down her back. She actually looks quite pretty in the morning light. The moment she sits down, she starts to serve herself until her plate, like mine, is completely filled. I hand her a cup of hot chocolate. She eyes it suspiciously. "They call it hot chocolate," I told her, "It's good." She grabs the cup and cautiously takes a seat. I see a surprised look on her face, and smile. She wouldn't touch anything else until she had finished the whole glass. I finish eating, stuffing myself with as much food as I could hold down. Effie excuses herself and leaves, putting the attention on Haymitch now. He still hasn't touched his food, he's too busy drinking. I feel a sudden anger come on me. No wonder district 12 doesn't stand a chance, even the tributes with good strength and willpower don't stand a chance with a mentor like him. We rarely get sponsors, mostly because of him! No one wants to deal with a drunk like Haymitch, not even me. But were stuck with him.

"So your suppose to give us some advice?" Katiness asks, trying to keep her voice sounding casual. "Here's some advice," Haymitch replied, "Stay alive!" then he burst out laughing. This really pushes me. Katiness exchanges a look, and I meet her eyes, letting my anger at Haymitch show. He is suppose to be our guide and give us tips on how to survive in the arena, and he's cracking jokes like its some sort of game to him! Normally, I act rationally. But not today "That's very funny," I say, lashing out and knocking the glass out of his hand and letting the blood red liquid run across the floor. "Only not to us." I stare him down hard, letting him know I am not fooling around. He considers it for a moment, then punches me in the jaw. The force of his punch knocks me out of my chair and onto the floor. My mouth stings painfully, and my head is spinning, but I can see well enough as Haymitch reaches for the alcohol again. Katiness quickly drives her knife in the table between his hand and the bottle, stopping Haymitch in his tracks

"Well, what's this?" Haymitch exclaims, "Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?" I get up from the floor and reach for some ice from the table to hold against my aching jaw. "No, don't," Haymitch says interrupting me. "Let the bruise show, the audience will think you've been messing with another tribute before you've even made it to the arena." "But isn't that against the rules?" I ask, slowly setting the ice back under the fruit tray. "Only if they catch you. The bruise will say you've fought and you weren't caught, even better." Haymitch tells me. I watch closely as he turns to Katiness. "Can you hit anything with a knife besides a table?" he asks her. She un-wedges the knife from the table and throws it against the wall across the room; it sticks perfectly.

"Stand over here, both of you" he ordered. I don't hesitate to do as he says. At last we have finally caught his attention. He circles us a few times, looking us over. "Well you're not entirely hopeless. Seem fit. Once your stylists get a hold of you, you'll be attractive enough." Katiness and I don't question this. The best-looking tributes always get the most sponsors. "Alright, I'll make you a deal," Haymitch says finally."You don't interfere with my drinking and I'll stay sober enough to help you. But you have to do exactly as I say." It's not exactly a great deal, but it's better than ten minuets ago when we didn't have any mentor at all. "Fine," I say bitterly. "What's the best strategy at Corniucopia for someone," Kaitness starts, but Haymitch interrupts her."One more thing," he says quickly. "In a few minuets we will be pulling up to the station and you will be put in the hands of your stylists. You're not going to like what they do to you, but don't resist. "But," Katiness tries to say, but Haymitch stops her again. "Nope, no buts, just do it." Then he grabs the bottle of spirits from the table and leaves the car. It gets really dark, and that's when I realize we must be in the tunnel going up to the Capital. Katiness doesn't say a word, and neither do I. We have a mentor now, more or less, so maybe we'll actually stand a chance. The train finally slows down and sunlight pours through our window. I rush over to take a look at my first live view of the Capital. The beauty of it couldn't be captured in camera, it was so much pretty then it had looked on screen. And the Capital people were just as crazy as they had looked; if anything the cameras hadn't quite been able to capture the oddness of these people. People are pointing to us eagerly, so I begin to wave and smile enthusiastically. Maybe that way we can pull in some sponsors.

I only step away from the window when we pull up to the train station. That's when I notice Katiness staring at me with disgust. "Who knows?" I shrug."One of them might be rich." Then I begin to walk off the train before she can say another word. If Haymitch is willing to mentor us, then I am willing to fight. I could team up with Katiness and then when it came down to the last few people, take off and try to kill as many tributes as I could before I died. I just hope someone would kill me before I made it to the final two. I couldn't imagine what would happen if it came down to me and her. Would she turn on me? Would I turn on her? The thoughts were unbearable, so I pushed them away. For now, all I had to worry about was getting through my restyling session; there would be plenty of time later for planning.

As soon as I step off of the train, I am place in the hands of my Prep team. They immediately got to work, scrubbing down my body with a gritty foam to remove all the layers of dirt, and a few layers of my skin as well. They shampoo and condition my hair, chatting away as they scrub. I make conversation with them and do not complain, per Haymitch's instructions. If this is how much pain they cause when they're happy, I'd hate to be on their bad side! Once they are done, I have succeeded not only becoming the cleanest man in the world, but I have completely won over the hearts of my prep team. When they have stopped gushing over me, they dart out of the room and leave me in the hands of my stylist.

As my stylist steps in the room, I see it is a woman. And as far as Capital people go, she looks rather normal. She is in a simple black dress and matching black heels. Her hair seems to be it's natural shade, a sandy brown, pulled to the side in a loose ponytail that fell down to her stomach. The only self-alteration on her seems to be her face makeup, which looks almost completely natural. Her eyes have been outlined in metallic gold eyeliner, and her lashes have been thick end and curled. Her lips were a soft shade of pink, and she had blush applied with light hands to her cheeks, giving her face a rosy glow. I do not recognize her, so I am guessing she is new to the games. I can't help but thinking how rather pretty she looks. "Hello," she greets, her voice sounding almost like someone from District 12, lacking the ridiculous Capital accent of my stylists, "My name is Porshia." She comes in and carefully circles me, nodding in aprovement. "Ok, it seems like we can get you into your outfit now." Here's the part I am dreading. In the Hunger games, each of the districts provides one major export, District 12's being coal. Since coal is not very easy to design outfits for, our tributes usually end up in flimsy coal miners outfits, or naked covered in black coal dust.

"Now, Peeta, Cinna is in with Katiness right now. Our thoughts are to dress you two in matching outfits," Porshia begins, "and as custom, the outfits must match the flavor of your district." Please oh please let us get good costumes this time. "So, I'm guessing we'll be dressed in some coal miners outfits?" I ask her. "Not exactly. You see, Cinna and I think that the miner's thing is way overdone. No one is going to remember you in that, and we want to make you as unforgettable as possible. We are going to focus on the coal instead of the mining itself." I braced my self for the worst." And what do we do with coal? We burn it." I look up and give her a curious stare. This is something I hadn't expected."Peeta, I sure hope you aren't afraid of fire…." She said smiling. Then she orders me to close my eyes and my prep team brings in either the most sensational or deadly costume ever seen in the games. They show me a black jumpsuit and matching boots, and the head piece for my head, carefully explaining what will happen. _Oh my gosh, _I think. _Their going to light me on fire._


End file.
